PRECARIOUS WORK:

• Its dangers to workers

• How we can fight it
If you are looking for a job these days, then you already know
all about precarious work. It’s almost impossible to find a
“normal” job: with steady, full-time hours, a decent wage,
and benefits. Instead, most jobs seem to be insecure, short-
term, and poorly-paid. There aren’t many jobs out there – and
most of the available jobs are pretty lousy.

All these forms of precarious

What is Precarious Work? work have one thing in com-
mon: Workers are forced to bear
A precarious job is employment that offers compensation, the risk of any downturn in the
hours, or security inferior to a “regular” job. Precarious work employer’s business (because
workers can be disposed of
comes in many forms:
immediately when they’re no
longer needed). Yet even when
Agency work: Instead of working Seasonal work: You’re employed they are working, workers can’t
directly for the employer, you work only in particular seasons when busi- plan their lives or support their
for an employment agency (who ness is booming. families: their hours and sched-
creams several dollars per hour off of ules are undependable, and
Home-work: You do your job from your
your wages!). their pay and benefits are rock-
own home – fitting work into “free time” bottom. Many of these jobs fail
Temporary work: The job only lasts around domestic duties (and paying for to pay normal employment ben-
for a few days, weeks, or months. It’s the building and utilities yourself!). efits like health, life insurance,
“just-in-time” labour: you work only sick pay, or pensions.
Self-employment: Instead of putting
as long as the boss needs you.
you on the payroll, you’re paid to com-
Contracting out: Instead of having plete a contract – and considered
regular employees, jobs are con- “self-employed” but still depend on the
tracted out to suppliers. boss for all your work.

Casual or ‘on-call’ work: You’re Part-Time: Many part-time jobs offer

called in only at the employer’s precarious conditions and many “part-
request – so you never know ahead of timers” would prefer full-time work,
time when you’ll be working. with regular shifts.
Who’s Precarious? What is a Good Job, Anyway?
Researchers believe that less When we fight against the spread of precarious work, we are fighting to
than two-thirds of employed defend the standards of a “good job.” Our goal is a job that offers ade-
workers still enjoy a “regular” quate income, security, and stability, so that workers can support their
job (full-time, steady work with families and enjoy a decent, full life.
benefits). The rest have been Here are the key things we look for in a “good job”:
forced into precarious jobs of
one form or another.
• Decent pay that allows an adequate, secure standard of living for work-
ers and their families, and full participation in society.
In Canada today, almost one in • Regular, predictable, year-round hours. No excessive overtime.
five employed workers is part-
time; that’s up dramatically over
• Access to full-time hours for those who want them.

the last two decades. One in • Health, insurance, and pension benefits (including for part-time workers).

six workers are “self-em- • Excellent health and safety conditions and training; comfortable
ployed,” many working in very working conditions.
poor conditions. Many more • Workplace protection (including against arbitrary punishment or dis-
Canadians work in temporary or missal) and elected representation.
contract positions.
• Equal, fair treatment at work; freedom from harassment or discrimination.
Women have always been most • Paid time off work for holidays and vacation; family care needs and per-
subject to precarious work. sonal days; and life-long education and training.
Employers take advantage of
• Meaningful and productive work, that allows for personal development.
women’s struggle to balance
Naturally, decent wages top the list of these features of a “good job.” But
worklife and family duties. But
keep in mind: you could earn an hourly wage that seems attractive, yet you
the goal is not making work
could be hurt by inadequate or unreliable hours, or because you have to pay
manageable for women. The for benefits out of your own pocket. So better wages are crucial to the strug-
goal is cheap labour. gle for good jobs – but that struggle must also address hours, benefits,
Workers of colour and new security, and representation.
Canadians have also been very
vulnerable to precarious work.
A Global Fight:
But precarious work strategies Unions around the world are fighting
are now creeping into traditional precarious work. For example, the
International Metalworkers Federation
sectors of the economy (IMF), to which the CAW belongs, has
(like manufacturing), and made the fight against precarious
affecting more men, too. work its top priority for organizing,
bargaining, and lobbying.
For example, top global
companies like Toyota October 7 was the World Day for Decent
Work, supported by the CAW and unions
now use contract workers
around the world.
to make up 30% or more of
See www.imfmetal.org
their workforce.
2 for more information.
 Why Precarious?
Precarious work has grown
dramatically in recent years,
for many reasons:
Intense competition:
Employers, fighting to survive in a
dog-eat-dog economy, squeeze every
last cent out of their labour costs.
Globalization:
To compete with low-cost imports, of
goods and services employers try to
drive down their own workers to
‘third world’ standards.
‘Flexibility’:
In a volatile economy, employers
hesitate to take on permanent em-
Fighting Precarious Work at the ployees.

Bargaining Table Unemployment and recession:

When labour markets are weak, and
Union members have a special opportunity, and a responsibility, unemployed workers are especially
to fight precarious work through collective bargaining. desperate, precarious work becomes
more common. Employers know that
Some of the contract clauses we fight for include: workers will take any job, no matter
how precarious.
• Wages sufficient to adequately support workers and their families.
Government neglect:
• Benefits for part-time workers (eg. full health care coverage). Governments have largely accepted
the logic that employers should be
• Clear rules regarding hours of work, including maximizing hours
free to set employment conditions,
(scheduled by seniority), limits on overtime, minimum call-in periods with very little regulation or oversight.
(at least 4 hours), and minimum notice of schedule changes.
To prevent this kind of excess
• Provisions to convert part-time or irregular jobs into permanent, full-
competition from driving down
time jobs. Limit the number or ratio of part-timers.
working conditions and the qual-
• Recognition clauses must not exclude temporary or contract workers. ity of work life, governments must
play a more active role (see p.4).
• Restrictions on temporary or contract workers, the abuse of “proba-
tion” periods, and out-sourcing.

• Health and safety training to ensure that everyone (including new or

temporary workers) is safe.

• Protect good jobs during economic downturns through EI work-sharing.

If you have other examples of contract provisions that can put limits on
precarious work, please send them to the CAW Research Department at
cawres@caw.ca so we can share them with others!
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 Fighting Precarious Work in the
Political Arena
We fight at the bargaining table to protect our members against precarious work,
with language on job security, contract work, part-time work, hours, and bene-
We Can Stop fits. But the quality of our jobs also reflects trends in broader economic and
social conditions. That’s why it’s essential for CAW members to be fully active in
Precarious Work! the political arena, fighting for economic and social policies that lift up employ-
ment standards and limit precarious work, for the benefit of all workers.
The relentless expansion of precar-
ious work is undermining the Here are some of the demands we will put to governments at all levels, to stop this
bargaining power and the working precarious “race to the bottom”:
conditions of all workers. That’s
why the CAW is making it a prior-
• Reduce unemployment, and strengthen Employment Insurance and social
assistance: Precarious work is more common in tough economic times, when
ity: in our bargaining, our political desperate workers will take whatever employers offer.
action, and our education. We
must monitor the expansion of • Rules on hours of work: Government employment standards should set out
precarious work, understand its basic rules allowing for more stability and predictability in working hours –
dangers, and find ways to defend including minimum call-in periods (4 hours or more), and minimum notice for
the ideal of a “good job.” changing work schedules.

To win this fight, we will: • Regulating employment agencies: Agencies profit from the desperation of
workers, creaming outrageous amounts off their hard-earned paycheques. On
• Strengthen our work with laid-off average, agency workers make 40% less than the permanent workers they
CAW members, through our work beside. Standards must be implemented to stop this exploitation, and
Action Centres and other forums. ensure basic fairness in agency work (including stopping illegal deductions,
access to paid holidays and vacations, and having freedom to apply for per-
• Build alliances with community
manent jobs with the same employer).
partners and other unions to
fight for good jobs. • Legally clarifying the “employer”: Ultimate responsibility for the fair treat-
ment of workers (including payment of wages and benefits, health and safety
• Push governments to close the protection, holiday pay, and other standards) must lie with the final employer
loopholes that allow precarious as well as with any employment agency. Employers can’t “outsource” their
workers to be exploited. moral and legal responsibilities to temp agencies.
• Protest the economic race-to- • Minimum wages: It’s not just minimum wage workers who benefit from a higher
the-bottom that is dragging minimum wage. By boosting the minimum wage, wages increase across many
down all workers – for example, other job categories, too (where wages are set in relation to the legal minimum).
with the rallies planned for the
G20 meetings in Ontario in 2010.
• Unionization: It’s very challenging to organize precarious workers, due to their
rapid turnover, their extreme vulnerability, and the role of agencies. But it can
Join the fightback! and must be done. Labour laws should be reformed to give precarious workers
the same collective bargaining rights as other workers.
Contact your local union,
or visit www.caw.ca for • Support good jobs: With measures to support manufacturing (like Buy Canadian
more information. policies), expand public services and public sector employment, and other eco-
nomic strategies to expand the availability of higher-quality green-friendly work,
(See ‘Precarious Work’
we can expand the options available to Canadian workers and limit the growth of
under ‘Campaigns’)
precarious work.
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